Action needed to address housing crisis – Matt Carthy

Sinn
Féin’s Matt Carthy has said that swift action is needed to address the looming
housing crisis.

The
Midlands Northwest candidate, who has been the chairperson of County Monaghan's
Housing Strategic Committee for the past five years, was speaking in response
to comments from veteran homelessness campaigner Peter McVerry who criticised
the dearth of social housing availability in the state as being a contributing
factor to a new homelessness crisis.

Cllr.
Carthy said that Sinn Féin councillors have been highlighting the social
housing crisis for several years.

Speaking
on the campaign trail Cllr Carthy said:

“Housing
provision in this state has reached crisis point. According to official
figures, six new people become homeless every day. At present there are 89,872
households on waiting lists for local authority housing in this state.

“These
people are living in cramped unsuitable conditions and in the current system
will be waiting a very long time to be housed appropriately. The private rental
sector is out of the question for many due to spiralling costs.

“Before
the onset of the economic crisis the state was building 4,000-5,000 social
housing units a year. However in 2013 the state built just 546 homes at a time
when housing need is much more severe. Over 1 billion euro has been cut from
the housing budget since 2008 but the number of those in need of social housing
has more than doubled.

“I grew
up in a local authority house and I know the peace of mind it provided to my
mother when we were children. That peace of mind is being robbed from many
families as a result of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael policies.

“There
needs to be serious investment in social housing if the current crisis is to be
addressed in any real way. A portion of this investment must come from Europe
and the European Investment Bank.

“A strong
team of Sinn Féin MEPs would fight for investment from the EIB to tackle the
housing crisis. This government’s record in drawing down EIB funding has been
abysmal. That is why we need strong voices in the European Parliament who are
not afraid to put their necks on the line and stand up for Irish interests.”